In 2015, while on an apparent hiatus, Badu released a remix of Drake’s gargantuan smash “Hotline Bling.” Produced by the Dallas-based Zach Witness — who first connected with Badu after she heard a remix he did of her 2000 song “Bag Lady” and reached out to him — “Cel U Lar Device” was posted to SoundCloud without much explanation.

Erykah Badu is working on something. In February, she and The Alchemist teased some new music they’re making together, with Earl Sweatshirt also in the mix. Still, it wasn’t clear exactly what they were doing: A song,

Erykah Badu was the subject of Billboard's Women In Music series as its latest icon for 2025, and shared details of her creative endeavors.